Re: City exploring ways to make Central Park safer, Burnaby NOW, Oct. 18.
As a resident of Burnaby and the vice-president of the Licence Inspectors’ and Bylaw Officers’ Association of B.C. (LIBOA), I commend the city on initiating a pilot project that will see bylaw officers patrolling parks on bicycles. Having bylaw officers provide support to resource stretched police services not only enhances community safety but can reduce policing costs. As policing costs rise, bylaw officers can play a key role in law enforcement budgets.
A single police officer can cost taxpayers $136,000 per year, whereas a bylaw officer starts at approximately half that and can still provide a uniformed presence that can deal with low-level criminal matters and provide assistance to those in need.
As bylaw officers are peace officers, they have the powers of detainment and arrest to not only protect themselves, but to protect the public and hold those that break the law, accountable for their actions.
I hope that the city not only continues with the program after the pilot but increases the funding and scope of the officers to be able to tackle other issues that are normally handled by police.
Kudos to the city for thinking about community safety while still being concerned about how our tax dollars are being spent.
Steffan Zamzow, Burnaby
